Armenian Adoption Adventure explores the latest in Adoption news from Armenia. Armenian Adoption Adventure has a network of 40 people worldwide that have adopted from Armenia. God Bless you on this difficult journey.

Monday, January 31, 2011

FEB. 8, 2011 * ‘ORPHANS OF THE GENOCIDE’. A special presentation of the EMMY Award-nominated documentary about the story of 150,000 Armenian Genocide orphans. (a production of the Armenoid Team). Sponsored by the Knights of Vartan, Ararat Lodge. With the participation of the AGBU, Mirror Spectator, Homenetment Boston, Sayat Nova Dance Co., and St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School. At the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Boston, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge, Mass. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m.; presentation at 8 p.m. For reservations ($15 for dinner and presentation; $10 for presentation only), visit http://msz.com/oog/ or call Vartan Soukiasian at (617) 851-7528 by Feb. 1.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Mer Doon (our home) is the home for orphans who age out of the system. It was started by a group here in California and they are progressive. These young ladies are going to college and a few have gotten married with some "babies" of Mer Doon past residents. They are learning that there is life away from orphanages.

From orphanage to womanhood, teens in transition find a warm home at Mer Doon

Philadelphia - I met the young girls of Mer Doon in Etchmiadzin last summer when I had the opportunity to visit Armenia for the first time.

My visit to Armenia was a two-month service trip with Birthright. I was privileged to have had the opportunity to live, work, and experience life with locals, as well as my fellow Diasporans, in the city of Gyumri.

My experience enlightened me and it opened my eyes to the true reality of Armenia beyond my impressions that were created from the stories I had read and heard. The simple life that I witnessed and which I became a part of is the Armenia I speak of today.

It was my last weekend in Armenia when I had the opportunity to visit Etchmiadzin and Mer Doon. I felt honored to be in the presence of the women who are so dedicated, devoted, and diligent to the needs of the young girls and to the mission of Mer Doon. This single day inspired new hope in me and reassured me that Armenia has more than just potential to move forward- it is moving forward.

Mer Doon does not just provide food and shelter to orphaned young women; it provides a real family and a real home to the girls who would have otherwise had dreadfully limited opportunities to create fulfilling lives of their own. I was welcomed with smiles as the girls stood up to greet me. I spent several hours with the girls as we talked, ate, and spent time together.

I was moved by the amount of care that is provided to each of these young girls, no less than the amount of care that a mother would provide to her child. The girls study in universities and are taught to maintain their home, their character, and their support for one another.

As a part of my service trip, one of my internships was in an orphanage in Gyumri. Through this experience, I am able to understand the incredible value Mer Doon creates for the young girls who are fortunate to be admitted into the care of this organization. It is difficult to say that I was often discouraged by the lack of care and attention provided to the children of the orphanage at which I volunteered in Gyumri.

I witnessed as the innocent children were reprimanded for not appreciating the roof above their head and the food upon their table. I felt helpless as the children spoke to me about the uncertainty of their future after they leave the orphanage.

Non-governmental organizations such as Mer Doon are the foundations upon which a stronger Armenia is being created. Mer Doon is providing life and hope to these young orphan girls who, in spite of their misfortunes, are truly fortunate to be under the care of Mer Doon.

It is our obligation, as members of the Armenian Diaspora, to support these efforts to ensure that the missions of these organizations and the mission of Mer Doon are sustained.

We Armenians are a hard-working, dedicated, educated people who create, improve, and inspire. We contribute to the efforts of the societies in which we live, but as Armenians, we also have a duty to our ancestral homeland. Only the cooperative efforts of diasporan and native Armenians can ensure that our immortal country will not only continue to exist, but will rise to a greater and more powerful state.

To learn more about Mer-Doon, please visit their website at www.Mer-Doon.com.

Please support Mer Doon today. Your kind contributions will go a long way.

Please make checks payable to:

Our Home-Mer Doon, Inc.

c/o 84 Ellsworth Blvd.

Kensington, CT 06037 There web site is:

http://www.mer-doon.com/public/index.php?cmd=smarty&id=-1_len

Your contribution is tax deductible.

Noushig Hovhannesian, 25, volunteered with the Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC) and Birthright Armenia for eight weeks in the summer of 2010. She graduated from Saint Joseph's University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance, and is currently working in Philadelphia, PA as a commercial real estate agent.

Friday, January 21, 2011

A fundraising evening to help the children of the Gyumri F. Nansen orphanage was organized recently at the initiative of Dr. Chuck Hajinian and with the participation of representatives of the Armenian community of Wisconsin and AGBU friends. Pillows, sheets and other bed clothing for the orphanage children were purchased with part of the 6,000 USD raised during the evening by about 60 guests, who committed themselves to continuing the fundraising event in favor of the Homeland. On November 12, the AGBU Armenian Representation personnel visited Gyumri and handed over the purchased goods to the orphanage. The administration and children of the orphanage expressed their gratitude to our Armenian-American compatriots and the AGBU.

In phase 2 of the project, with the rest of the raised funds, sports shoes and tracksuits were purchased for each of the children at the same orphanage. With previously received list of sizes for each child, the AGBU Armenian Representation personnel once again visited the orphanage on December 21 and delivered the goods in festive bags to the 69 children of the orphanage as early Christmas presents from the Friends of AGBU.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Sarah Varadian, born and raised in Norwood, was a student at Ursuline Academy on Sept, 11, 2001 when terrorists attacked the United States and changed lives forever. Some of those lives changed for the better thanks to people like Varadian, who graduated last year from Stonehill College. Varadian created the Wee-Care Organization and has raised enough money to improve the lives of children around the world..Varadian will be guest speaker Monday at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Giving Back which begins at 9 a.m. at the Middle School on Hayden Rowe Street.

Q. What inspired you to make your first bear?A: It all began following Sept. 11. 2001. I had heard about the horrible conditions for girls in Afghanistan through the news, newspapers and other articles and was horrified to learn that they were not allowed to attend school. At the time, I was attending Ursuline Academy (an all-girls' school) so the thought of girls in another country being denied the opportunity to go to school truly upset me. I knew that I had to do something to help these girls so I began brainstorming ideas. Using my school's uniform - green plaid - our school mascot - the bear - and school motto - "Seviam" or "I will serve" as my inspiration, I began creating the Wee-Care Bears.Q: Are they sewn by hand and do you sew other things besides bears.A: I had never sewn a stitch in my life, so my mother had to teach me how to properly measure, pleat and hem these tiny skirts made out of our uniform material. I was so excited and proud of each little bear once it was fully dressed and tailored and ready to be sold. I sold them at my school each year to students, faculty and parents who were all just as excited and willing to help.

Q. How much money do you estimate has been raised since the first year?A: I would say overall, several thousand dollars have been raised since September 11. I have no way of knowing the exact amount, but I pray that each year as the project continues to live on in my high school and hopefully other schools, more and more funds will be raised.The first year, enough money was raised to fund the building of two girls' schools in Afghanistan through the organization CARE, International.

Q. What other organizations benefited from your fundraising?A: The following years’ funds went to supporting those schools through CARE, International, but I wanted to support other causes that were important to me as well. A close friend of mine is the founder of the organization Science With A Mission which provides diagnostic tools for diseases like malaria and typhoid to underdeveloped countries in Africa. The money donated to her cause was enough to provide a large village with these tools. I am also extremely proud of and connected with my Armenian culture and wanted to support children in Armenia in any way that I could, so a portion of the funds raised went to the Armenian Relief Society and provided a Christmas party for several years to an orphanage in Gumri, Armenia.

Q. I know other schools are now doing something similar. How did your idea grow?A: I taught underclassmen at my high school how to make the bears and I was also invited to speak at other schools about this project, teaching them how to make the bears as well. I encouraged them all to find a cause that speaks to them and to direct their funds to that organization. The girls in Afghanistan were a driving force for me and my passion for education motivated me to create and continue my project. It is important for those who are putting their time and effort into a project like this to believe strongly in their cause.

Q. What are your plans for the future?

A: I have graduated from Stonehill College, Magna Cum Laude, and continue to be involved in the nonprofit world. I am currently working for Lifespan, an umbrella organization responsible for the development and fundraising for five of the hospitals in Rhode Island. I am actively involved in the Armenian Youth Federation and continue to support local organizations like the Norwood Scholarship Foundation, where I am currently serving on the board of directors. I hope that my project can inspire other young students, like those I will be speaking to in Hopkinton on MLK Day 2011, and let them know that they CAN make a difference in this world.

NEW YORK–Supporters of the Children of Armenia Fund gathered for the organization’s seventh annual gala on December 16, held at the spectacular Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The nearly 300 guests in attendance enthusiastically demonstrated their continuing commitment to COAF’s cause, raising more than $1.5 million which will go to support the second phase of renovation of a school in the village of Miasnikian as well as ongoing programs in education, health and economic development in the ten villages in which COAF has worked over the past six years.

A Focus on Children

[2]Emmy- and Tony-Award-winning actress Andrea Martin, a long-time COAF supporter, again entertained the audience and emceed the event, but performances by children and young people–The Broadway Youth Ensemble, 13-year-old actor/vocalist Kyle Alexander Brenn, and Sirena Huang, the 15-year-old concert violinist–highlighted the program. It was three little girls from Armenia, however, who brought the crowd to its feet and tears to many eyes. Miracle, a choir from the COAF-sponsored village of Miasnikian, consists of eight-year-old Silva Baghdasaryan, Tatyana Hmayakyan and Siranush Boyajyan, whose voices are angelic and nearly pitch perfect. Having never been on an airplane before, they traveled to New York the day before the event and confidently and movingly sang the Armenian song Yerevan Dartsats im Erebuni, obliging the enthusiastic crowd with an encore.

Honoring Philanthropic Excellence

COAF also honored two esteemed philanthropists during the evening. The 2010 Benefactor Award was given to Gerard Cafesjian, a longtime and generous supporter of Armenian causes. He has championed the efforts of the Armenian people to move beyond the tragedy of the Genocide and to continue on as significant contributors to the well being and advancement of humankind. Ambassador John Evans spoke on Mr. Cafesjian’s behalf. The late Paul Newman was memorialized through the dedication of COAF’s 2010 Humanitarian Award. Annual grants from Newman’s Own Foundation have allowed COAF to establish and maintain a thriving photo and video club that has broadened the horizons of all its participants. Mark McEwen, author, journalist and former CBS News personality, spoke of his interactions with the remarkable Mr. Newman.

[3]The evening’s guest speakers were Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Mr. Michael Aram, artist and entrepreneur, and Dr. Helen Evans, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator for Byzantine Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dr. Gregorian appealed to guests’ sense of philanthropic duty. He noted that two-thirds or Armenians now reside outside of Armenia, a highly successful population in every field. He reminded guests that with great wealth also comes a great responsibility and opportunity to give to those less fortunate. COAF board member, Michael Aram, spoke with passion and emotion about his recent trip to Armenia and Dr. Evans educated attendees about the history of The Temple of Dendur and the notable Armenian art pieces currently residing in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

COAF Accomplishments and Future Plans

Since it began operations in 2004, COAF has brought vastly improved education, health care and community services to 22,000 people in the Armavir marz in Armenia, working closely with the local residents to determine what is needed and to build self-sufficiency.

[4]Dr. Garo Armen, Founder & Chairman of COAF, expressed his deep gratitude to the attendees for their ongoing support and gave an update on COAF’s most recent achievements. He particularly focused on recent progress within the school in Miasnikian. Before COAF began to rebuild and refurbish it, it was a decaying facility lacking electricity, indoor plumbing and window glass throughout. Despite that, nearly 700 children attended classes there daily. Now it has been partially refurbished and the contrast between the before and after is striking.

To ensure that the project is completed expeditiously, C. Hugh Hildesley, Executive Vice President of Sotheby’s, conducted a rousing auction that gave attendees the opportunity to make donations at various levels, sponsoring specific classrooms, school facilities, or support functions. This project auction was a tremendous success, contributing more than $700,000 to the evening’s fundraising total.

About COAF

Founded in 2000, the Children of Armenia Fund is an independent, nonprofit, nongovernmental (501)(c)(3) organization. COAF works to secure a future for children in Armenia’s impoverished rural villages through improved education, health care, community life and economic conditions. At their core, COAF’s programs create and sustain opportunities for growth and progress.

Posted By Weekly Staff On January 7, 2011 @ 3:11 am In New England | No Comments

Standing (L-R): Orphan/Child Care Committee members Stephanie Goldstein, Carolyn Eurdolian, Joyce Janjigian, and Michele Simourian. Seated: Susan Covo and Candace Simourian.WELLESLEY, Mass.—With over 185 people in attendance, the 15th Annual “Children Helping Children” event held on Oct. 28 at the Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley raised over $50,000 to benefit children in Armenia. The event was organized by the Boston Region Orphan and Child Care Committee of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA).

The luncheon featured inspiring performances by the students of St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School in Watertown and the Armenian Sisters Academy in Lexington. Hosts for the afternoon, television personalities Mike Wankum and Chris Talanian, lifted hearts and spirits during the exciting live and silent auctions.

The committee expressed its appreciation for the participation of all the donors and guests whose generosity has already made a difference in the lives of many children.

To sponsor a child, make a donation, or join the committee, call Michele Simourian at (508) 785-0569.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Shenoraavor nor dari Yev pari gaghand, Merry Christmas We got back from our Christmas Hantes (Hon tes) which is a "show" for children to put on. Here are some photos from our dress rehearsal, we are pooped out. We did 2 run thrus and our darling did fantastic. Please consider your child being involved with your local Armenian children's events.The little baby is my cousin's girl named "Aghvor" (Aag vor) means "Beautiful one"She was born in Armenia but they live in the USA now, Aghee as we call her kept breaking away and wanting to dance with her cousins.

Some of you have asked for the names of Armenians, I promise we will put out the most common ones and their meaning. In the meantime, there is an excellent book called "Armenian First Names" by Nicholas Awde and Emanuela Losi by Hippocrene Books, Inc., www.hippocrenebooks.com